Grand Army Plaza Arch is Restored

Photo by NYC Parks / Malcolm Pinckney

Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks Hosted Ribbon-Cutting Celebration for the Historic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza 

NYC Parks and Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates Prospect Park in partnership with the City, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the restoration of the iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn’s most significant monumental public artwork. 

The Alliance restored the Arch and the surrounding plaza and landscaped berms. It is the first significant restoration of this Brooklyn icon in nearly 50 years, and included replacing the roof and reinforcing the historic structure, as well as repointing its beautiful granite stonework to remove years of build-up, staining and spalling; repairing interior elements, including decorative bronze and cast-iron spiral staircases and entrance gates; and designing new, energy-efficient lighting to better showcase the historic elements of the arch and its statuary. In addition, during the Arch’s restoration, the NYC Parks Citywide Monuments Conservation Program cleaned and restored the Arch’s monumental statuary. The project recently received a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the Landmarks Conservancy, its highest honor for excellence in preservation.  

NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers will be holding special tours of the Arch on Saturday, June 28. Register for the lottery: prospectpark.org/arch-tour.  

Background on the Arch and Grand Army Plaza Restoration 

Famed Prospect Park architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Grand Army Plaza as the grand entrance to Prospect Park at the time of the park’s creation in 1867. In 1892, the plaza became the site of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives defending the Union during the Civil War.  

The arch was designed by American architect John H. Duncan, who also designed Grant’s Tomb. At the time it was considered Brooklyn’s Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris. The arch is adorned with three bronze statuary ensembles by the Brooklyn-born Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies, who was also a highly accomplished painter and portraitist. The arch also includes statuary by artists Philip Martiny and William Rudolf O’Donovan, as well as equestrian bas-reliefs by famed American artist Thomas Eakins. It is one of New York City’s three major triumphal arches. 

The arch was landmarked in 1975, when the structure was in such severe disrepair that the statue on top of the arch, the quadriga of Columbia, literally fell from her chariot. In 1976, the City undertook a comprehensive restoration. The fall of the quadriga became the symbol of the greater need for support for Prospect Park, which led to the founding of the group that would become Prospect Park Alliance.  

To restore the Arch, the Alliance’s in-house team of award-winning architects conducted significant research to uncover the historic design. Original blueprints were lost to time, requiring the Alliance to create a detailed scan of the inner structure using radar and magnetic investigation. Through these scans, and physical surveys and drawings from previous restorations, the Alliance embarked on a comprehensive restoration. This included reinforcing the historic structure with new steel beams and creating a new internal drainage system. After laboratory testing, the team determined the composition of the stonework mortar, Rosendale cement from the namesake town in upstate New York, and utilized this in the restoration. In addition, cracked and broken stonework was replaced to match the existing stone from a quarry near the original source in Maine. On the interior, bronze and cast-iron spiral staircases and entrance gates were carefully disassembled for restoration: original elements were meticulously cleaned, missing elements recreated, and then the renewed piece was reassembled on site.  

The Alliance also restored the landscaped berms that frame the plaza on its east, west and north sides. This work included removing invasive plants, trees and shrubs; and planting 194 native trees, as well as new plants and shrubs that provide interest and color throughout the seasons. The Alliance also replaced a chain link fence with low, decorative steel fencing. At the plaza, the Alliance restored the broken bluestone and granite paving around Bailey Fountain and the John F. Kennedy Memorial and added a new ADA-accessible curb cut at the north entrance to the plaza. 

About NYC Parks 

NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 666,000 street trees, and five million more in parks. We are New York City’s principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals. 

About Prospect Park Alliance 

Prospect Park Alliance is the non-profit organization that sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s Backyard, in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. Learn more at www.prospectpark.org.